Congress

Due to redistricting/reapportionment, for this year's elections and they will be in effect for the next 10 years, Oswego County is going from being
part of one Congressional District, and split into two.

If you reside in the Cities of Fulton and Oswego, the Towns of Granby, Hannibal, Minetto, Oswego, Palermo, Schroeppel, Volney and part of New Haven,
this is your new district.

Every 10 years in New York State, the Legislative seats in Congress (U.S. House of Representatives), State Senate, State Assembly and County Legislative Districts are altered so that each area represents an approximately equal number of people. That process is called redistricting/reapportionment. These new districts are typically in place by the first election after the United States Census Bureau { http://www.census.gov } completes the full National count of people residing in the United States. Last count was in 2010 and the next one will be in 2020.

After New York State Officials receive the Census Data, work immediately begins in Albany, on re-drawing the lines for Congressional seats along with its State Legislative Districts. This power currently rests with the majority parties in the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly. The New York State Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research & Reapportionment { http://www.latfor.state.ny.us/ } created in 1978, assist the State Legislature with this process. Through the decades, that procedure has led to new districts that are likely to improve the chances of the majority parties (Democrats in the Assembly and Republicans in State Senate) increasing the numbers in their conference.

After each house completes its own lines, they usually arrive at a bi-partisan agreement regarding the lines for Congress. In 2012, that did not happen. Due to the fact that New York State’s population didn’t grow as fast as some other States and they are losing 2 Representatives in Congress. New York State’s Congressional delegation will now shrink from 29 seats to 27. The Assembly and State Senate Majorities couldn’t come to an agreement in a timely manner over how to re-configure these lines. So a judge finished the process for them. Now Oswego County, for only the 2nd time in its history, will be divided into 2 separate districts for the House of Representatives.

As a result of the Redistricting Agreement struck by Governor Cuomo and Legislative leaders in 2012, a Non Partisan Redistricting Commission not made up of State Legislators will draw the State and Congressional lines next time around. This should be in place in 2022.

Throughout the country for the past 2 centuries, there has been widespread abuse of the power of redistricting to disenfranchise certain groups of group of people, mainly along ethnic and racial lines. So now, any communities with large a number of minorities, must receive approval from the United States Justice Department, before any legislative lines become final.